Adding a sense of place and culture to airports

Skift Take

The future of airports, not as an antiseptic non-place, but rooted in the local culture and integral part of the urban life.

— Rafat Ali

Adding a local flavour to the airport is a response to changing lifestyles in which we mix cultures, leisure and shopping with our search for meaning, surprise and stories. Symbols, lifestyles and traditions have long been neglected but today offer a great source of inspiration for commercial initiatives at airports, especially in combination with technology-driven experiences.

In this way, airports can become the larger connective tissue between travellers and the cultural heritage of the country..This emphasis by airports on connecting culture, places and people is setting off a new phase in airport development. By creating an authentic identity airports are taking on a new role as a ‘cultural connector’ and story teller.